Car-door and fastener.



PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

C. S. BENNETT. OAR DOOR AND FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28, 1905.

, Inventor.

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CHARLES S. BENNETT, OF NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

CAR-DOOR AND FASTENER- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed April 28, 1905. Serial No. 257,899.

1'0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newport News, in the county of Warwick and State ofVirginia, have invented a new and useful Car-Door and Fastener, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in car-doors, and moreparticularly to a novel fastening device for locking the car-dooragainst lateral and longitudinal movement.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, andefiicient door-fastener capable of being readily attached to thecar-door and by means of which an unauthorized person is effectuallyprevented from obtaining access to the interior of the car withoutmutilating or otherwise destroying the seal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of slidingbolts movable to operative and inoperative positions by the movement ofa single actuating-lever, saidlever being also connected, through themedium of a link, to a locking-plate slidably mounted on one edge of thecar-door and adapted to engage a keeper secured to the door-casing,whereby the longitudinal edges of the car-door are firmly clamped inposition, so as to prevent the access of water, cinders, sparks, andother foreign matter.

A still further object is to form the connecting-link andoperating-lever with laterally-extending perforated lugs adapted toregister with each other when the door is locked, to thereby permit theinsertion of the lock and seal.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts,ashereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, andpointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood thatvarious changes in form, proportions, and minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a car and car-door, showingmy improved fastening device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of a portion ofthe car-door, showing the operating-lever in locked position. Fig. 5 isan enlarged sectional view of the track and hanger, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1.Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the stationaryclamping-plate and keeper.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the draw.-

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Referring to the drawings, 5 and 6 indicate two vertical posts whichcomprise the side jambs of a car-door opening, and 7 the car-doorsuspended by its upper edge from an overhead track 8, which is arrangedat the top of the car and spaced laterally therefrom, as shown. The dooris mounted for longitudinal move ment on the track 8 and is supported bybrackets or hangers 9 and 10, the hanger 10 being hinged, as indicatedat 11, to permit a slight lateral movement of the adjacent end of thedoor for the purpose hereinafter explained.

Secured to the side of the car on each side of the door-opening arestationary plates 12 and 12, which extend approximately the entireheight of the door and have their free edges spaced laterally from theside of the car to form pockets or keepers adapted to receivelocking-plates 13 and 14, secured to the longitudinal edges of thecar-door, as shown. The plate 13 is rigidly secured to the edge of thedoor 7, while the plate 14 is movable, being adjustably secured theretoby means of bolts or similar fastening devices 15, which pass throughtransversely-disposed slots 16. Pivotally mounted on the outer face -ofthe car-door is a lever 17, provided with a T- shaped head 18, to whichare pivoted oppositely-disposed locking-bolts 19, the latter beingmounted for sliding movement in suitable guides 20 and adapted to engagekeepers 21, secured to the car at the top and bottom of thedoor-opening, as shown. Pivoted to the lever 17 at 17 is one end of alink 22, the opposite end of which is pivoted to the movablelocking-plate 14, so that when the lever 19 is moved to the positionshown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings the bolts 19 will bereleased from the keepers 21 and the lockingplate 14 simultaneouslywithdrawn from the pocket formed by the plate 12, thereby permitting theadjacent end of the car-door to be tilted laterally and said door movedlongitu dinally on the track 8 to open position, the track being curvedor bowed outwardly, as indicated at 23, to permit said door to clear theplate 12. The link 22 is normally ar- IIO ranged parallel with anddisposed directly beneath the lever 17, the latter being provided with alaterally-extending lug 23, adapted to engage the upper edge of the link22 and limit the downward movement of said lever when the same is movedto locked position, as best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Thelocking-lever is also provided with a pair of laterally-extending spacedears 24, having alined openings 25 formed therein for the reception of asuitable seal 26, which latter passes through said openings and througha similar opening formed in a corresponding car 25, secured to or-formedintegral with the link 22.

The ears 24 and 25' are so disposed with relation to each other and tothe lug 23 that said lug will engage the link 22 before the earsactually engage each other, thereby preventing said ears from beingaccidentally bent or broken by the downward thrust of the lever whenlooking the car-door. The free end of the lever 17 is preferably bentlaterally, as indicated at'26, to form a terminal handle 27, by means ofwhich said lever may be conveniently manipulated.

Attention is here called to the fact that the lever, with its T-shapedhead, locking-lug, perforated ears, and terminal handle, is stamped froma single piece of metal, thereby materially reducing the cost ofmanufacture and rendering the device extremely easy of attachment to acar-door.

In operation when it is desired to lock the door the latter is movedlongitudinally of the car until the stationary locking-plate engages thepocket formed by the plate 12, this being rendered possible by theinclination of the track, which directs said plate into the pocket,while the pivotal connection of the hanger permits the opposite edge ofthe door to be tilted inwardly until the movable locking-plate isopposite the stationary plate 12 and the door fitted between the sidejambs. The lever is then moved downwardly to the position shown in fulllines in Fig. 1, which movement causes the sliding bolts to engage theirrespective keepers and the movable locking-plate to enter the pocket ofthe adjacent stationary plate, thereby clamping the door firmly to itsseat and efiectually preventing both lateral and longitudinal movementof the same. WVhen this has been accomplished, the connectinglink andlever are securely fastened together by inserting the lock and sealthrough the openings in the laterally-extending ears, as will be readilyunderstood.

To open the door, it is simply necessary to move the lever to theposition indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, when the edge of the doorhaving the hinged hanger secured thereto may be tilted laterally andsaid door moved longitudinally of the car to open position. It will thusbe seen that with one movement of the lever all four sides of thecar-door are simultaneously locked, and that any attempt by anunauthorized person to enter the car will be impossible withoutmutilating or otherwise destroying the seal. It will also be observedthat the stationary pl'ates secured to the sides of the car on each sideof the dooropening effectually prevent the access of oinders, sparks,dirt, and other foreign matter to the interior of the car, which ishighly essential in transporting certain kinds of goods.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. Thecombination with a car-body having a door-opening and having a trackdisposed above said opening, of a sliding door, hangers secured to thedoor and engaging the track, one of said hangers being hinged to thedoor, stationary plates secured to the car-body .at opposite sides ofthe door-opening. a plate rigidly secured to one edge of the door andadapted to engage one of the stationary plates, a movable plate securedto the opposite edge of the door for engagement with the secondstationary plate, bolts slidably mounted on the door and adapted toengage the car-body for locking the door in closed position, anoperating-lever pivoted to the car-door and pivotally connected to saidbolts, and a link forming a pivotal connection between the movable plateand the operating-lever.

2. The combination with a car-body having a dooropening, of a slidingdoor, stationary plates secured to the car-body at opposite sides of thedoor-opening, a plate rigidly secured to one edge of the door andadapted to engage one of the stationary plates, a movable plate securedto the opposite edge of the door for engagement with the secondstationary plate, bolts slidably mounted on the door for locking thelatter in closed position, an operating-lever pivotally connected withthe bolts and provided with a laterally-extending perforated ear, and alink pivoted to the lever and movable plate, respectively, said linkbeing provided with a similar perforated ear adapted to register withthe ear on the lever when the latter is moved to operative position.

3. The combination with a car-body having a door-opening, of a slidingdoor, a stationary plate secured to the car-body at one side of thedoor-opening, a movable plate carried by the door and adapted to engagethe stationary plate, bolts slidably mounted on the door for locking thelatter in closed position, an operating-lever pivoted to the door andpivotally connected to said bolts, a link one end of which is pivoted tothe movable plate and the opposite end thereof to the operating-lever,said link being disposed back of the lever and in horizontal alinementtherewith when said lever is in locked position, and a stop carried bythe lever and adapted to engage the link for limiting the downwardmovement of said lever.

4. The combination with a car-body having a door-opening, of a slidingdoor, stationary plates secured to the car-body at opposite sides of thedoor-opening, a plate rigidly secured to one edge of the door andadapted to engage one of the stationary plates, a movable plate securedto the opposite edge of the door for engagement with the secondstationary plate, bolts slidably mounted on the door for locking thelatter in closed position, an operating-lever pivoted to the car-doorand pivotally connected to said bolts, a link forming a pivotalconnection between the movable plate and the lever, and alaterally-extending lug carried \by the lever and adapted to engage theconnectinglink for limiting the downward movement of saidoperating-lever.

5. The combination with a car-body having a door-opening, of a slidingdoor, stationary plates secured to the car-body at opposite sides of thedoor-opening, a plate rigidly secured to one edge of the door andadapted to engage one of the stationary plates, a slotted plateadjustably mounted on the opposite edge of the door for engagement withthe second stationary plate, bolts slidably mounted on the door forlocking the latter in closed position, an operating-lever pivoted to thedoor and provided with a T-shaped head the opposite ends of which arepivotally connected to the bolts, a link disposed back of theoperating-lever and pivoted to the latter and to the slotted plate,respectively, said link and lever being provided withlaterally-extending ears having alined perforations formed therein forthe reception of a sealing device, and a lug carried by theoperating-lever and adapted to engage the link for limiting the downwardmovement of said lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afliXedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

R. (J. WINNE, C. O. BEAL.

